Chapter 41
Since he didn’t struggle much after92Please respect copyright.PENANA4r5TDZEiox
they started moving, the Serpents didn’t see a need to bag him or knock him92Please respect copyright.PENANAsbmunBWI2D
unconscious. While they walked through the down, he took a quick peek, and it92Please respect copyright.PENANAGl2vgcEW4Q
appeared as though everyone in the village was on the side of the Serpents.92Please respect copyright.PENANAjFng2Cerir
Even the normal seeming folk talked with the Serpents as if they were old92Please respect copyright.PENANAt8JdT6H7WX
friends. He would have to investigate what would make a village so close to the92Please respect copyright.PENANAGVpcCV6lpG
city turn on the King. He didn’t see Eliza, but he could feel her watching and92Please respect copyright.PENANAEn87jV2coj
waiting. Eve opened a door leading into an Inn where Serpents were eating and92Please respect copyright.PENANAf2pzC9s3sD
talking with each other.
“Is92Please respect copyright.PENANA45SeQdMkj4
that you Eve?” someone from behind the bar asked.
“Yea92Please respect copyright.PENANAcmAlTIMsNv
your old bastard it is.” She laughed. The bigger man launched himself over the92Please respect copyright.PENANAoRPorOpUQn
countertop then picked her up on his arms spinning her around.
“I92Please respect copyright.PENANA2ry5mPaZmA
see you completed your mission.” The strange man nodded appreciatively at92Please respect copyright.PENANAtaltRobxI9
Vander. “Lord Cranton will be pleased, though I’m surprised he came on his92Please respect copyright.PENANAacG9IzaLur
own.”
“Some92Please respect copyright.PENANAeyOaj5DVog
of his squad members came with him, me included, but I took care of the92Please respect copyright.PENANAD4RgQb5dJ7
troublesome ones then had our men kill the others.” Eve beamed. “You should92Please respect copyright.PENANAEPbSoaogcj
have seen his face.”
“How92Please respect copyright.PENANAHhChpx1K56
many did we lose?” the man frowned.
“Seven.”92Please respect copyright.PENANAurTEwCCtqu
She spoke. “I told you not to underestimate him.”
“I’ll92Please respect copyright.PENANAXKqB7WmatE
have to triple our fee then.” Vander let out a cough causing the two of them to92Please respect copyright.PENANAbWxfCE1ETJ
look at him.
“I92Please respect copyright.PENANAJLskBML5CK
don’t suppose you’ll introduce yourself?” Vander smiled. “It’s nice to let one92Please respect copyright.PENANA6pqrxgjXba
know who he should address.”
“This92Please respect copyright.PENANAGmlGvgKsCV
isn’t high society any more whelp.” The man backhanded Vander across the face.92Please respect copyright.PENANA8eG4Tp7E4A
“I don’t owe you a fucking thing.” Vander spit out a bloodied took onto the92Please respect copyright.PENANA3qIiTExXIo
ground.
“It’s92Please respect copyright.PENANAo9nEt7nRlR
alright Batiste, I know who you are.” He smiled. “My grandfather told me so92Please respect copyright.PENANAU41Z94nkfo
much about you. Glad to see you slumming around with traitors. I can’t wait to92Please respect copyright.PENANATGeZjUNUFK
sink my sword into you.”
“Treat92Please respect copyright.PENANAHKzw9jEyrd
a guy to dinner first.” Batiste chuckled. He walked over then pulled Vander’s92Please respect copyright.PENANAQuiqmjPsLr
head back until they were staring eye to eye. “Once they get what they want92Please respect copyright.PENANAAjsDfK3DTi
from you, you’re all mine. I’m going to enjoy sending pieces of you to your92Please respect copyright.PENANAJomMCbYEsH
bastard grandfather.” Vander responded by smashing his face into Batiste’s92Please respect copyright.PENANAoGGbyMn9zC
nose. He stumbled backwards, blood pouring out of his crushed nose.
“Get92Please respect copyright.PENANA2RPpsp6veQ
him downstairs!” Eve snapped.
He92Please respect copyright.PENANAedtta6BJKe
was roughly picked up and hauled away.
He92Please respect copyright.PENANAvc351K0mTD
was thrown into a dusty corner and kicked one final time before they left him92Please respect copyright.PENANAsCwUTBbWQN
down there. He slowly sat up and waited for his eyes to adjust to the gloom of92Please respect copyright.PENANAeFBqxm1igk
the darkness. There were two unconscious forms lying in the cell next to him.92Please respect copyright.PENANAoMbadSqObg
Eliza and Kiara. Thank goodness they were safe.
Upon92Please respect copyright.PENANA2eANZI4UK3
hearing the door close, he saw Eliza moved. She slowly sat up then turned her92Please respect copyright.PENANAVedo8QXXYL
head to look over at him. It took her a moment to recognize him, but once she92Please respect copyright.PENANAjR4CECZMbu
did, she threw her arms around his neck.
“Vander,92Please respect copyright.PENANASmjYeYFy9V
why did you come?” she whispered into his ear.
“To92Please respect copyright.PENANAwJzcICOYko
get the both of you back.” He responded, embracing her. “Is Kiara, okay? Is the92Please respect copyright.PENANAJhJ6Q6YASI
baby harmed?”
“No.”92Please respect copyright.PENANAerRSTzTJnO
Eliza shook her head. “They only took her to get you and Cuvera here. They want92Please respect copyright.PENANArmFAfFUkbK
the shards we possess, but how are they going to extract them from us?”
“I’m92Please respect copyright.PENANAUqNzwV17gt
not sure, but whatever it is, it won’t be good.” Vander frowned. “We need to92Please respect copyright.PENANAaMhmudLcLA
get out of here before Cuvera shows up with reinforcements. We don’t want to92Please respect copyright.PENANAtz4Wouth79
get in the middle of a drawn-out fight.”
“Do92Please respect copyright.PENANACHyXDTOVG2
you have a plan?” she asked.
“Let’s92Please respect copyright.PENANAukEo12tSvF
just wait and see what happens.”
…
Kiara92Please respect copyright.PENANAJ5lGJRwWBH
woke up a few hours later. She was doing alright, but Vander knew that she was92Please respect copyright.PENANAvCtRlrRXNM
worried about the baby. Eliza soothed her while they discussed their next92Please respect copyright.PENANAaTfzPEmRmM
steps.
It was nightfall before anyone came92Please respect copyright.PENANAuACZAzNeXt
back for them. Batiste and Eve came down the stairs with a third person walking92Please respect copyright.PENANAe1UZiguIKn
behind him. Vander recognized the smell and let out a low warning growl. Peyton92Please respect copyright.PENANAHzLSea9WY3
Cranton smiled down at him with an evil glint in his eye.
“I92Please respect copyright.PENANAuhn2XYynAV
told you he would come.” The man snarled. Vander lunged for him, but the metal92Please respect copyright.PENANAydfG62ERio
bars kept him from leaving the cell.
“Come92Please respect copyright.PENANA5ZLrblmHe2
here you slimy bastard.” Vander snapped. “I’ll snap your neck with my bare92Please respect copyright.PENANAE13m7bgxoH
hands.”
“You92Please respect copyright.PENANAeZ6dklyY9M
always were such a handful, Captain.” Peyton nodded at one of the Serpents who92Please respect copyright.PENANABDacG7F35a
smashed him in the stomach with the butt of his sword. Vander fell to the92Please respect copyright.PENANA3J1f9EfZOL
ground clutching his stomach trying to hold back the tears.
“Why92Please respect copyright.PENANA5srCeTAB6i
are you doing this, Peyton?” Kiara had woken up and while she was angry, she92Please respect copyright.PENANA7L2sOGBI1j
wanted to understand. There was no way this kind man would do something so92Please respect copyright.PENANAoEcRRG7MUh
cruel for no reason.
“What92Please respect copyright.PENANAF7RKiydJe8
other reason is there?” Peyton laughed. “I crave power, always have. This is92Please respect copyright.PENANAv9VP55JXUE
the only way I can get it. Now, take those two to the courtyard.” He pointed92Please respect copyright.PENANAZ1LmLNeeke
towards Vander and Eliza. “They have the shards we need.”
“What92Please respect copyright.PENANAjHeHpJisUk
about the Queen?”
“Once92Please respect copyright.PENANAhd3wHq2pPJ
the ceremony is complete, I don’t care what you do to her.” Peyton shrugged.92Please respect copyright.PENANALYHDhLoNvq
“But for now, we need them alive to assure their compliance.”
“Understood.”92Please respect copyright.PENANAOMCw01XxJx
Batiste grinned. He instructed his men to open the door. Pairs of hands grabbed92Please respect copyright.PENANAGuWLr5y5NG
Vander, making sure he couldn’t move, while Eve grabbed hold of Eliza. Eliza92Please respect copyright.PENANAaMZqIiKyl9
tried to fight back, but Eve held a knife under her throat.
“Actually,92Please respect copyright.PENANA3KSBRMlcl0
bring the Queen with us.” Eve said. “If they try to fight us, we start chopping92Please respect copyright.PENANAafHPtH5jvu
off pieces of her body.”
“Do92Please respect copyright.PENANAEypWzgGoW0
it.” Batiste ordered. Kiara didn’t even fight back when two more Serpents92Please respect copyright.PENANAmOwAt6AEAx
grabbed her pulling her to her feet. The three of them were hauled from their92Please respect copyright.PENANAv7HD5Miibb
cells, out of the Inn, and into the square.
Serpents92Please respect copyright.PENANAJp0DWaem9H
were stationed all along the space not giving any of them room to try and92Please respect copyright.PENANAInFkFQKumn
escape. Kiara was dragged to the side while a Serpent held a knife to her92Please respect copyright.PENANAEgq8AEQkAa
throat. Vander and Eliza were dragged to the center then their shirts were92Please respect copyright.PENANAL70NJPCaQp
forcibly removed from their bodies. The night air was cold, but warmth emanated92Please respect copyright.PENANATCilGJprID
from Eliza calming him down. They were forced to kneel afterwards. A strange92Please respect copyright.PENANAJ9Wnx1C4ui
man wearing a long black walked over to them holding a knife.
“Welcome92Please respect copyright.PENANAwQkcw0gv0J
to the ritual.” Peyton grinned. He walked into the circle also without his92Please respect copyright.PENANARvDwKzYtzK
shirt. “We will be taking the shards from you and taking the next step in my92Please respect copyright.PENANAXsdVepC660
master’s plan.”
The92Please respect copyright.PENANAb6s0jNx6ky
black robbed person began to chant as he cut into his arms. He allowed the92Please respect copyright.PENANAriZT5VprDu
blood to flow towards the end of his fingertips. He walked towards Peyton92Please respect copyright.PENANAsSOKKPrbUt
allowing the blood to drip onto the ground. He started to draw strange symbols92Please respect copyright.PENANAh0q2r8fWxb
onto Peyton’s arms, back, and chest. Even from where he kneels, Vander could92Please respect copyright.PENANA0mtnN53SYX
feel the power emanating from the runes, but it gave him a bad vibe from it.
Once92Please respect copyright.PENANA7A0remx7Fm
they were done covering Peyton, the man walked over to where Vander knelt. “We92Please respect copyright.PENANAHyJqzsK1L7
will be taking your power now.” The voice whispered. Then he began to paint92Please respect copyright.PENANAU8nousjfxw
blood runes on Vander’s body. As soon as the final rune was painted on, his92Please respect copyright.PENANAihC2Cwfqwt
body was racked with pain. He fell to the ground violently convulsing while92Please respect copyright.PENANAbwsTgrb9PU
blue smoke enveloped his body. The smoke traveled from his body towards92Please respect copyright.PENANAQzLPqyXXxK
Peyton’s then it started snaking up his leg.
“Yes,92Please respect copyright.PENANAPhN5SmoxqJ
yes!” Peyton cheered. As the smoke reached Peyton’s mouth, Vander felt a very92Please respect copyright.PENANAi7DcsI75Vl
terrifying presence surrounding them. A void appeared between Vander and92Please respect copyright.PENANAZ3XIn5x02l
Peyton, just above where the transferring was occurring. A familiar woman92Please respect copyright.PENANACCGYVxO52Y
stepped out from between the dimensions followed by a large white wolf. Unna92Please respect copyright.PENANAfLmfJVv9Zh
had come.
“I92Please respect copyright.PENANAA7DFqGNmfS
was wondering what has happening here.” Unna smiled a blood red smile. Her92Please respect copyright.PENANAGFD1eeDfEv
presence caused the Serpents to collectively hold their breath, not a single92Please respect copyright.PENANATkmB5EHJJj
person dared to draw attention to themselves. Everyone except for Peyton.
“Unna!”92Please respect copyright.PENANAj1t4thb6ku
He laughed. “Have you come to bear witness to your new chosen?” She smiled and92Please respect copyright.PENANA3FFRmslZZk
started walking towards him.
“Do92Please respect copyright.PENANAWQL1c4q2ui
you think you can handle my power sweetie?” she smiled. “Stronger men than you92Please respect copyright.PENANADM66TZrTcb
have tried and failed, are so certain you can do it?”
“I92Please respect copyright.PENANA14D4qK8tUH
can handle anything.”
“We92Please respect copyright.PENANA3opyqIo2t8
will see.” She pressed a finger into his forehead. Black energy traveled from92Please respect copyright.PENANA0aGQLIovI2
her body towards his. Peyton started screaming. The energy transfer started92Please respect copyright.PENANAliOzHKa4qW
reversing as Peyton started convulsing. He bent over in half as thick fur92Please respect copyright.PENANAoyGRLvotgW
started sprouting on his body. His arms snapped in half as his leg buckled. His92Please respect copyright.PENANAVfA8slPf4s
teeth began to fall around him as his jaw snapped and elongated.
“This92Please respect copyright.PENANAPywYrqooLR
wasn’t supposed to happen.” The black robed mage took a step backwards. Ritoru,92Please respect copyright.PENANA2vVWMMhFgH
spotting his chance, lunged forward, grabbing the man in his jaws then biting92Please respect copyright.PENANA9hOpGSrW1B
down sending blood spraying all over the courtyard.
“I92Please respect copyright.PENANAvytC4wBs5U
thought you could handle my power?” Unna asked as Peyton still screamed in92Please respect copyright.PENANAGCvY9haBPT
pain. “Unlike the others, you messed with something that wasn’t yours to92Please respect copyright.PENANAQTcPvX7qIH
control.” She took a step back towards Vander. “Vander, sweetie, this will be92Please respect copyright.PENANAFV4vS2tRwu
the last time I save you. Next time, you’re on your own.” She brought her92Please respect copyright.PENANAXoJOuusg78
fingers up to whistle. Another portal opened. She and Ritoru stepped inside.92Please respect copyright.PENANAw6fCwLGkBT
“Good luck!”
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Vander92Please respect copyright.PENANA0Du2vHsHr6
may have kept a hold of his powers, but now he was staring down at one of92Please respect copyright.PENANAaUPNFStUL7
Unna’s beasts. He had to figure out how to get out of here while keeping Eliza92Please respect copyright.PENANAnbdGO6pEQG
and Kiara safe. There was only one way he knew how: it was time to make a deal92Please respect copyright.PENANAcBJPg7RuH2
with the devil.